When was the last time you stopped and looked at the night sky just to marvel at the wonders of space? When have you taken a moment to dig into mysterious subjects like dark matter or learn about the latest space explorations
Read more
Award-winning author and NIU economist discuss sci-fi and economic fact at next STEM Cafe
In National Book Award Winner M.T. Anderson’s latest satirical novel, Landscape with Invisible Hand, humans are invited to participate in a galactic economy but struggle to adjust to a market run by aliens and ruined by alien technology. Anderson’s books, such as
Read more
Byte by byte: How the internet devours your personal data
Every time we use the internet, we leave a trail of information behind. At the next STEM Café, NIU marketing instructor Alex Eddy will discuss where we’re leaving our digital footprints, who’s using our personal data and what they’re doing with it.
Read more
Our daily spread: April 11 STEM Café to highlight local food movement
Want to be healthier, contribute to lower pollution and stimulate the local economy? Eating locally grown food can help you do all three! At the next STEM Café, “Our Daily Spread: Local Farms, Community Gardens and Access to Healthy Food,” local experts
Read more
The dangers of being ‘too clean’
Is it possible to be too clean? At the next STEM Café, “Getting Dirty: How Bacteria Impact and Improve Human Health,” NIU Associate Professor of Biological Sciences Sherine Elsawa will discuss germs, the immune system, and the impact of our near-constant soaping,
Read more
Oct 26 STEM Café to explore roots and implications of the ‘Sharing Economy’
At the next STEM Café, “Market Morph,” two NIU experts will explore the recent boom in the “sharing economy,” in which businesses help private individuals rent each other’s houses, cars and other assets. The free, public talk and discussion will be held
Read more
Batter Up! Sept. 14 STEM Café to bring physics perspective to baseball
Pop quiz time, baseball fans: What makes curveballs curve? Do knuckleballs really flutter, as the announcers say? Do “rising fastballs” really rise? At the next NIU STEM Café, “Batter Up! The Physics of Baseball,” NIU particle physicist Dr. Jahred Adelman will answer
Read more
Marvel at meteors, learn the science of space
Don’t miss the astronomical light show of the year! Join NIU STEM Outreach Thursday, Aug. 11, at the Bliss Creek Golf Course in Sugar Grove for “Star Gazing,” a STEM Café event devoted to the dazzling Perseid meteor shower. The free event
Read more
Reading the genetic blueprint
Is the day coming when knowledge of the genetics behind human diseases will point the way to cures? At the next STEM Café – “The Human Blueprint” – NIU associate professor of biology Rick Johns will explore the latest scientific understanding of
Read more
How to save a brain
Imagine getting lost in your own home or neighborhood. Imagine feeling disoriented, unsure of where you are or how you got there. For individuals suffering from Alzheimer’s and other neurological disorders or trauma – and more Americans than ever are diagnosed with these
Read more
Robot revolution
Our robots are getting smarter. Should we be excited or scared? At the next STEM Café, “RoboRevolution: The Future of Sentient Machines at Home and in the Workplace,” two NIU thinkers will explore the many ways cutting-edge robotics and artificial intelligence are
Read more
What if our cars could help save the environment?
What if our cars could help save the environment? At the next STEM Café, “Renewable Nation: How Hybrid Cars and Smart Grids Will Change America,” NIU assistant professor Kevin Martin will explain how technology could transform vehicles from gas guzzlers into key
Read more